


Do you believe in soulmates?

by who_seeks_shall_find



Series: Life as I see it [51]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Divorce, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Motherhood, Soulmates, post-season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-10 18:52:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15297816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/who_seeks_shall_find/pseuds/who_seeks_shall_find
Summary: William asks a question that Felicity isn't prepared for. He asks: "Do you believe in soulmates?"





	Do you believe in soulmates?

**Author's Note:**

> This is a part of a series about Oliver's imprisonment and a year after it. This drabble takes place during Oliver's imprisonment. Oliver has been in prison for 170 days.
> 
> The series will be updated once a day (if it's just possible). It's going to include 122 drabbles about Oliver, Felicity, William and other characters who are involved in their lives. It's going to take approximately four months to finish the series. The drabbles are linked to each other but they're NOT in a CHRONOLOGICAL order. That's why, there may also be gaps or blanks which are filled in later.
> 
> I wish that every character is respected without unnecessary hatred.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Felicity and William were sitting at the dinner table. William was more quiet than usual and he played with his food. Felicity looked at him and she was starting to get worried about him. Although William was Oliver’s son, he usually shared small details about his life and talked enthusiastically about his school day. 

She didn’t know how to proceed when William was in his own bubble out of her reach. Felicity wanted to ask what was going on with him but she didn’t want to pressure him. Being a mother could be really complicated. After all this time, she still felt like she was learning. Why didn’t they have any kind of manuals how to be a mother for a thirteen-year-old boy? 

Nevertheless, Felicity couldn’t handle the quietness so she cleared her throat. Then she asked: “How was school, William?”

William didn’t look up and he just shrugged while he kept playing with his food. He rolled a meatball on the other side of the plate and then back. Felicity watched the movement but after a while she let out a frustrated sigh. She grabbed William’s hand and William raised his head. He stopped playing with food. He had a questioning look but he didn’t say anything.

Felicity asked in more stern voice: “What’s going on with you, William? What’s wrong?”

“Why do you think something is wrong?” William answered defensively. Felicity wasn’t sure if she had heard that tone before.

She raised an eyebrow and William looked at her cautiously. Soon he let out a deep sigh and after that he mumbled: “I’m sorry.”

Felicity squeezed his hand but she didn’t say anything. She wanted William to continue at his own pace. The silence stretched and finally William asked quietly: “Can you drop this?”

Felicity bit his bottom lip. She wasn’t sure if it was okay to let him be. She didn’t want him to bottle up his feelings although sometimes it was better to deal with everything by yourself. However, William was only thirteen and something was clearly bothering him. Felicity needed him to know that he could always tell her anything.

Felicity said gently: “I really would like to know what is going on with you. I can’t help you if I have no idea what you’re thinking of. Help me out her.”

William looked at nervously and Felicity gave him a small smile. She added: “Please.”

William started rubbing his fingers together like Oliver did when he was nervous. Felicity was starting to get more and more worried with every passing second. He was obviously debating with himself whether he should tell Felicity what had happened.

Eventually, William exhaled sharply and he blurted out: “Do you believe in soulmates?”

“What?” Felicity asked and she laughed nervously. She hadn’t expected that.

“Do you believe in soulmates?” William repeated his question.

Felicity became more serious again when she realized that William had asked the question in all earnestness. She thought about her answer for a while because she wasn’t sure how to respond. The truth to be told, she hadn’t thought about the concept of soulmates. Not really.

She tried to dodge the actual question so she inquired: “Why are you interested in soulmates?”

William blushed and he looked down again. Felicity asked: “William?”

He mumbled almost inaudibly: “We were talking about soulmates in school.”

“In class?” Felicity asked because she couldn’t figure out why they would talk about it.

William shook his head and answered: “I talked about it with my friends during our break.”

Felicity frowned. Didn’t thirteen-year old boys usually talk about something else? Felicity admitted: “Now you lost me, bud. Can you explain the whole thing from beginning to end?”

William sighed and his shoulders sank. Then he started his story from the beginning: “Like I said, we were on our break. First, we were talking about the usual stuff, like baseball and video games. Then one of my friends started crying without a reason. We had no idea what was going on.”

William took a breath and Felicity nodded, encouraging him to continue. William went on: “We asked what was wrong and he said his parents were getting a divorce.”

Now William looked up at Felicity and he gulped. He stammered: “Apparently, my friend’s parents weren’t soulmates. At least that’s how his parents explained their divorce to him.”

Felicity pressed her hand on William’s cheek and smiled at him softly. She asked: “Are you worried about me and Oliver? Are you scared that we are going to get a divorce?”

“Are you each other’s soulmates?” William asked earnestly. 

Felicity almost choked before she answered. She said: “I’m not sure if getting a divorce is about soulmates. That’s not the best way to explain it although that’s just my opinion.”

William looked at her with confusion and Felicity went on: “We’re not getting a divorce with your dad if that’s what you’re worried about. I love him way too much. I couldn’t imagine my life without him.”

“But he is away. He’s not even away. He’s in prison. You’re living without him right now,” William reasoned but his voice grew thinner as he kept talking.

“You’re right but there is still a difference. I know he is out there and he is going to come back to us – no matter what,” Felicity said and stroked William’s cheek bone with her thumb.

“How can you be so sure?” William asked and his voice broke in the end.

“Oliver is too stubborn. He loves you and he loves me. No one is going to keep him away from us,” Felicity said determined although she understood William’s desperation. She was starting to get desperate and frustrated, too.

William nodded but he still insisted: “Dad has been in prison for six months now. How can we be sure that it won’t be six years or even more? What if you want to divorce him then?”

Felicity’s heart clenched painfully as she thought about it. She had refused to think of Oliver being away any longer. She had always silenced those doubting voices in her head. She understood that maybe Oliver wasn’t coming back to home in a long time. Yet, she didn’t want to be too aware of it because it would make her stop. She kept going because she wanted to believe Oliver was coming back soon. She also kept going for William’s sake. 

Felicity answered William’s question: “The line between false hope and healthy hope is almost too thin to recognize. I don’t know when we’re going to see him next time or when he’s going to be a free man. I have to believe he’s coming for us soon, though. It’s just my way to survive through this. And for your latter question, we're not getting a divorce. I can't promise you it's going to be easy but I love Oliver.”

William nodded in understanding once before he started playing with his fingers. He tangled his fingers together and he looked like he wanted to ask something else. Felicity waited patiently for William to be ready with his question.

William asked nervously: “Are you my dad’s soulmate? I mean you haven’t even looked towards other guys during these months. No matter what the tabloids say.”

Felicity smiled at him knowingly. They both were well aware of those not-so-pleasant articles about Felicity’s so-called affairs. She stated: “I don’t know if I believe in soulmates but I believe in our marriage. I believe in Oliver. I believe he’s the one for me and there is no one who could make me feel like he does so maybe I could call him my soulmate. I’m mad at him, even furious, for his unilateral choice. He should have come to us and talked about it before taking actions. Yet, I also know I don’t want to be apart anymore.”

“I want him back, too,” William whispered and Felicity could see a small glint in his eyes because of the unshed tears.

“I know that,” Felicity whispered back and she had to press her lips together tightly so she wouldn’t start sobbing.

The silence fell upon them but soon William broke it. He said: “When we talked about divorces and soulmates in school today, I kind of panicked. For my friend, it’s easier because both his parents are his biological parents…”

William couldn’t finish the sentence and Felicity filled it in: “And I’m not your biological parent.”

“Well. Yeah. There are still people who think that parenthood is about DNA and biology. If you divorced my dad, would I see you anymore?” William said in a tight voice and a small tear rolled down on his cheek.

“William, honey. You won’t ever get rid of me. Never, ever. You’re stuck with me whether you want it or not,” Felicity said while she put her hand on his forearm.

William looked at her and his eyes were full of questions. Felicity reassured him: “I love you more than anything and I could never live without you, either.”

“Don’t you love dad more than anything?” William asked in a surprised way.

“It’s different. You’re not competing against each other. I love you both as much but the way, I love you both, is different. I need you both in my life and together you make me whole. Life is like a puzzle and you need many pieces to make it complete. Those pieces need to be in balance. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense,” Felicity tried to explain.

William looked at her and he was smiling through his tears. He asked: “Why do you love me?”

Felicity’s jaw almost dropped and she stammered in a quiet voice which was full of disbelief: “Why do I love you?”

William nodded and Felicity’s heart clenched painfully once again. William rushed to say: “I mean, you don’t have to love me. I was just a strange kid when you first met me.”

Now Felicity felt how her own tears were rolling down onto her cheeks. She cleared her throat and her voice was thick with emotions as she stated firmly: “William Clayton. I want to make one thing clear – I love you. There’s no other possibility. We haven’t known each other for that long but I’m sure about my love. There is nothing I would change in you. I love you for you.”

Felicity took a ragged breath before she continued: “I know it must be hard to trust people when you have gone through so much. I still hope you trust me and my love.”

William looked at her for a while. Then he launched himself into Felicity’s arms. William sank onto his knees in front of Felicity’s chair and he hid his head in her shoulder. Felicity stroked his head and made soothing voices. She rocked him softly against her body. Sometimes it was hard to remember how young and vulnerable William actually was.

They held each other a long time and finally William’s sobs ceased. He mumbled against Felicity’s shoulder: “Don’t leave me. I love you. Don’t leave me. Everyone leaves.”

“I will never leave you, my sweet boy,” Felicity said and her voice left no doubt. As the words left her lips, her heart was breaking mostly for William but it was also breaking a little for herself and Oliver.

**Author's Note:**

> Update for tomorrow:  
> William wants to attend a party. First, he just needs to ask for Oliver and Felicity's permission.


End file.
